Day 15: The Beautiful Ache for God

Why would growing closer to God require courage? Sr. Katie Flanagan reflects on St. Teresa of Ávila's teaching about extraordinary experiences of prayer and the courage needed to remain faithful through suffering, criticism, and misunderstanding. Today we read The Sixth Dwelling Places: Chapter 4. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Not every thought or inspiration comes from God, so how do we know the difference? Sr. Katie Flanagan reflects on St. Teresa of Ávila's wisdom about discerning God's voice, looking for the peace and lasting fruits that accompany His guidance. Today we read The Sixth Dwelling Places: Chapter 3. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Have you ever missed someone so much that it actually hurt? Sr. Katie Flanagan reflects on St. Teresa of Ávila's description of a soul that longs so deeply for God that being apart from Him becomes painful. Even in that longing, God is drawing the soul closer to Himself. Today, we read The Sixth Dwelling Places: Chapter 2. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

What happens when you’ve drawn closer to God than ever, and suddenly everything seems to fall apart? As we enter the Sixth Dwelling Places, St. Teresa of Ávila describes the trials that purify the soul: gossip, misunderstanding, illness, doubting confessors, and an interior darkness where God feels far away. Sr. Katie Flanagan and Sr. Elfie Del Rosario reflect on how suffering united with love can strengthen us. Today, we read The Sixth Dwelling Places: Chapter 1. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

Can even good things get in the way of our relationship with God? Sr. Katie Flanagan explores St. Teresa of Ávila's warning that not every distraction looks like something bad. Sometimes the things we love, the people we care about, or the work we do can take our attention away from what matters most. Today we read The Fifth Dwelling Places: Chapter 4. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

It's easy to say we love others, but putting that love into practice isn't always easy. Sr. Katie Flanagan reflects on St. Teresa of Ávila's teaching that growing closer to God means learning to put others before ourselves. Through small acts of kindness, patience, and humility, we can learn to love more like Christ. Today we read The Fifth Dwelling Places: Chapter 3. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

A silkworm doesn't stay a silkworm forever, and God doesn't want us to stay the same, either. Sr. Katie Flanagan explores St. Teresa of Ávila's image of the silkworm and butterfly, reminding us that growing closer to God means being willing to change. Today, we read The Fifth Dwelling Places: Chapter 2. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

What if the treasure you’ve been searching for has been inside you all along? As we enter the Fifth Dwelling Places, St. Teresa of Ávila describes the prayer of union, a gift no amount of effort can earn, where the soul is certain it was in God and God was in it. Sr. Katie Flanagan and Sr. Elfie Del Rosario reflect on surrender, receptivity, and asking Our Lady to help us open the places we’ve walled off from the Lord. Today, we read The Fifth Dwelling Places: Chapter 1. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

The real test of our prayer isn't how extraordinary the experience feels, but whether it bears good fruit in our lives and helps us faithfully live out our responsibilities. Sr. Katie Flanagan reminds us that God meets us not only in the chapel, but in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Today, we read The Fourth Dwelling Places: Chapter 3. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics

What happens when prayer stops being something we try to accomplish and becomes something we simply receive from God? Sr. Katie Flanagan explains the transition from our own efforts in prayer to the mysterious work of God within the soul—and reminds us that we cannot force or manufacture His grace. Today, we read The Fourth Dwelling Places: Chapter 2. To get your copy of the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/catholicclassics